Texas based Remanon is a progressive rock band with complex compositions. Their 2015 EP, Episodes, is the first to feature lead vocalist Nathan Alvarado, who joined the group in late 2013. Together, the group forges a tight, hyper-jazz sound which is reminiscent of bands like Rush, King Crimson, Dream Theater, and classic Genesis but with some strong original elements that make it distinct to this band.

The group was originally called “Accord of Dissonance”, formed by guitarist Jeremy Matt Vela and drummer Roy Buquor Hernandez in 2004. The two San Antonio natives share a love for music that ranges from jazz to hard-edged heavy metal and together, they are the prime songwriters. Bassist Jimmy Rodriguez, a native of Brownsville, Texas, rounded out the original pre-Alvarado trio when he joined in 2008.

The music compositions on Episodes were teased out over several months of jamming by the band and they ultimately decided to do an EP to expedite the process of introducing the new Remanon sound to their following. Starting in July 2014, Episodes was recorded and mixed at Jericho Recording in San Antonio, one song at a time. With the assistance of engineer Robert Jericho, the album was self-produced by the band members.

“Calamitous Cacophony” starts things off as an adventurous sonic suite. From the , jump there are well-timed riff rudiments, held together by the drumming of Hernandez. The main theme ensues before ripping into a plethora of rapid prog rock sections intertwined between the verses. The first major deviation of the suite goes into a bass-driven section with marching drum roll and slow, wah-wah guitar which, at one point trades licks with the slap bass groove of Rodriguez. After a calm section of picked guitars and reverberation of backwards guitar effects by Vela, the song moderately builds until Alvarado brings it back to the main theme with a brief, solo vocal line.

Changing direction, “Justice Paige” starts with a solo bass riff but morphs into a moderate ballad with acoustic guitar, synths and animated but measured drum fills. Just prior to Vela’s guitar lead, it briefly gets a little heavier but never quite gets “heavy”. Alvarado’s multiple vocal styles also help make this track melodic and accessible. “The Magnus” starts with a jazz-style bass riff by Rodriguez and a drum beat with odd timings. The song quickly alters to multi-part heavy rocker with a main lyrical theme of “shall I cripple the Earth?” Closing out the EP is “…I Only Exist In Your Mind”, which almost seems to extend the previous track with its long opening instrumental. Beyond that, it straddles the line between vintage Rush in musical approach and the post-alternative sound of more recent years, with rapid bass and pedal-effected guitars during the brief vocal section.

Remanon is currently touring through Texas and continues the process of jamming and composing new material, with the hopes for a vinyl release in the near future.